


We Found Love Right Where We Are

by DazzleYourMindsEye



Category: She-Ra and the Princesses of Power (2018)
Genre: Catra sees Adora's scars and gets emotional, F/F, Inspired by art I saw on Tumblr, Sleepy Cuddles, after season 5, catradora, i listened to so much ed sheeran for this, it demanded to be written, my first fic for this fandom, this is very gay and soft
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-17
Updated: 2020-05-17
Packaged: 2021-03-02 16:54:24
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,249
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24230146
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DazzleYourMindsEye/pseuds/DazzleYourMindsEye
Summary: Not all scars are visible, but the ones that are seem to hurt the most.
Relationships: Adora/Catra (She-Ra)
Comments: 23
Kudos: 425





	We Found Love Right Where We Are

**Author's Note:**

> Wowza that finale right?! This is my first fic for this fandom and I have a feeling it won't be the last. Thank you all so much for reading!

It was early. _Very_ early. Dawn spilled through the open window, pooling on the floor and slowly making the room glow gold.

Catra thought it reminded her of the light that came off Adora’s skin when she let the light of She-ra fill her.

That first morning she’d grumbled about Adora having picked the room with the window facing the east. Adora had laughed (a rumbly kind of laugh that Catra felt from where she was pressed against Adora’s bare torso) and told her that she liked to see the sun in the morning. It was so rare in the Fright Zone, with all the smog and machinery in the air.

She knew exactly what Adora meant.

Catra slowly sat up, stretching into a yawn that bared sharp canines. She pushed back her bangs (her hair had just passed her ears and was starting to grow wild again – every inch gained felt like another inch of herself won back from Horde Prime’s claws) and glared at the open window. She glanced over at Adora’s sleeping form, wondering if she could sneak away to close the curtains without waking her up, and _froze._

The stretching dawn had reached Adora’s (well, theirs now) bed and illuminated an expanse of skin, bared to the waist. The now familiar muscles of her back, slowly expanding as she breathed in sleep. Various pale scars criss-crossed across her skin, knicks and cuts from the last battle nearly three months ago still pink.

But Catra didn’t see any of that.

All she saw were the long, pale pink scars that ran in almost straight lines down from the top of Adora’s broad shoulders to the small of her back. Catra knew they were older, but deep. She knew because she remembered putting them there, the feel of her claws raking through flesh. As the time she’d told herself that she wasn’t _really_ hurting Adora, she was hurting _She-ra_ , a princess and her enemy. But if there was one thing she’d learned in the past few years it was that there really was no distinction. That Adora and She-ra were one and the same.

A lump rose up in Catra’s throat and her eyes burned. The sudden strong urge to get out of the bed, run, hide somewhere dark and safe rose up in her, and Catra forcefully pushed it back with a mental snarl and a small curl of her lip.

She was so done with running.

Catra swallowed again and lay back down on her side, facing Adora. Tracing the scars on her back with her eyes. Without her permission Catra’s hand crept across the sheets to lightly touch a scar with a fingertip, claws carefully held away from skin. Adora shifted, murmured something unintelligible and sighed. The image of Adora’s skin blurred, and Catra blinked against the sudden burning of her eyes.

Suddenly the space between them felt like a chasm, every inch torturous. Catra curled an arm around Adora’s waist, pulling herself across the mattress to press her face against the back of Adora’s neck. To touch her forehead to the top of Adora’s spine, feel her breath, her heartbeat.

Catra pressed her lips against the raised skin of the tallest scar and held there. Taking in the warmth of Adora’s skin. How _alive_ she felt.

“I’m sorry.” she murmured against skin. “I’m sorry.”

“Mmm, sorry about what?” Adora’s sleep-cracked voice almost made Catra jump.

“Didn’t mean to wake you. Sorry.” Catra started to pull her arm away, but Adora took her wrist in a gentle hold.

“Don’t. You didn’t wake me.”

Adora slowly rolled over, scars disappearing from Catra’s eyes, until they were face to face. Barely inches apart, practically sharing the same air. She blinked sleepy blue-grey eyes and Catra felt like her heart had leapt into her throat at the sight. No sunrise could compare.

Without thinking Catra tilted up and pressed a soft kiss to Adora’s lips, close mouthed but sweet. Adora hummed and returned the kiss.

“What was that for?” Adora muttered with a small smile when they broke apart.

“I dunno.” Catra shrugged. “Just felt like it, I guess.”

Adora’s drowsy smile faded, and she slowly raised a hand to cup Catra’s cheek. Rubbing the thin skin under her eye. Her eyebrows furrowed. “You were crying?”

Catra twined her fingers with Adoras, pulling her hand away. “No, I was just...”

“Hey.”

Adora raised her hand again, still entwined with Catras, to brush her knuckles against her cheek. “You don’t have to do that. Not with me. Tell me.”

Catra blinked, tears burning at the edges of her eyes. She sniffled. “I’ve just… hurt you. Over and over again. How can you still love me after what I’ve done?”

“We’ve hurt each other.” Adora brushed a tear off Catra’s cheek with her thumb. Still refusing to let go of Catra’s hand.

But Catra shook her head, squeezing her eyes shut. “No, I mean...” Catra maneuvered her other hand under Adora’s torso, between her skin and the sheets, to trace the scars on her back. “I’ve _hurt_ you.”

Adora frowned. Her thumb caressed Catra’s cheek and her eyes turned thoughtful. She sighed. “Come ‘mere.” She let Catra’s hand go only to wrap her arm around Catra’s shoulders, pulling her close. Catra nuzzled up under her chin, against the soft skin of Adora’s throat. Catra’s breath hitched.

“I know you have. I’ll carry those scars with me for the rest of my life.”

Catra flinched. Adora nudged Catra’s nose with hers.

“But not all scars are visible, and I’ve hurt you too. And I’m so sorry for that. No.” She placed a hand over Catra’s open lips just as she was about to object. “Let me finish.”

Catra scowled and closed her mouth.

Adora removed her hand, eyebrows raised. But Catra remained silent.

“We’ve both hurt each other. So many times in so many different ways. But do you wanna know something?”

Catra’s scowl faded, and she cocked her head to the side, ears perked up tall.

“I don’t care.” Adora nodded decisively, as if coming to an important conclusion.

Catra blinked. “You… don’t care?”

“Nope.” Adora tilted her chin proudly. “Because I love you. And all that doesn’t matter anymore.”

Catra opened her mouth. Then closed it. She blinked again.

Adora smiled and took Catra’s face in her hands. “I love you. Look where we are. _We_ did this. Etheria is at peace and the Horde is gone. And you’re here. With me.”

She kissed Catra then, deeper than before. Catra felt something wash through her, like wind blowing away shadows, at the taste of Adora’s kiss.

It was a long time before Adora finally broke the kiss, Catra gasping against her lips. “We’re here, together, and I wouldn’t have it any other way.”

Catra laughed wetly, the sound bubbling up from her chest like a playful breeze. “You’re such an idiot.”

A grin split across Adora’s face. “But I’m _your_ idiot.”

Catra softened, melting in Adora’s arms. “Yeah, you are. And I love you too, dummy.”

The words felt good, like flexing an underused muscle. Catra purred and curled closer, entwining her legs with Adoras to try and feel as much of her warm skin as possible. Adora wrapped both arms around Catra, one hand coming up to stroke the shaggy hair at the back of her head, holding her close.

Catra fell back asleep to the sound of Adora’s heartbeat. The most beautiful sound in the world.


End file.
